Hales on indefinite break for ‘personal reasons’

Alex Hales, who has a white-ball only contract with Nottinghamshire, missed the club’s opening Royal London Cup match against Lancashire due to personal reasons, and the club said that “no timetable has been set for his return”.

“Alex Hales has made himself unavailable for selection for personal reasons and no timetable has been set for his return to action,” Nottinghamshire said in a statement.

Hales has been named in England’s 15-man preliminary squad for the upcoming world cup but is most likely to play as a back-up for either of the frontline openers – Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow – or one of the middle order batsmen, in case any of them have a drop in form or get injured.

All the players selected in England’s squads for the world cup and the series preceding that – against Pakistan and Ireland – are expected to meet up for a training camp next week.